the great debate

No, I am not talking about last week's presidential debate or last night's vice presidential debate.  I am referring to the one that goes on between Jake and I every time anyone asks us if we are having any more kids and when.  I know that this debate is not a new one and is certainly not unique to us but it's one that I think about a often, especially when I start going through the kids' closets and dressers removing everything that they have grown out of and replacing it with new, season appropriate clothing that they will soon grow out of.  Everything gets carefully packed away in color coordinated totes (blue and gray for Cayden/pink and purple for Harper) and stacked in the basement along side the infant swing, the play mat, the bumbo chair, etc.  The fact that we have a boy and a girl now just makes this whole process all the more difficult.  Harper can't wear Cayden's hand-me-downs (OK, there are probably some things that are unisex but come on...who are we kidding?) and why would I want to give anything away when we don't know if our next one will be a boy or girl.  I need to keep it all just in case.

Yes, I did say "the next one."  You caught that, huh?  Here's where the real debate lies.  I have always wanted to have lots of kids.  Pre-having-my-own-kids I thought 4 was a good, even number.  Four kids could be easily handled and if you have them somewhat close together there wouldn't be a huge age difference between the oldest and the youngest especially if the in the middle were twins like I always thought they would be...like I said, this was pre-kids.  Jake, on the other hand, has always said let's have one, see how that goes and then maybe have a second one.  He thinks we are done.  Even though I now think that I would have to keep a room for myself reserved in the loony bin if I had 4 kids (especially if any of those 4 were twins...I mean seriously, two at a time!).  In my mind, this means that I am willing to compromise on the number of kids I would like to have so he should be able to compromise on his idea of two and we will meet in the middle at 3.  Three would be good.  I can handle three and I have a plan (yes, a plan for when to have babies) all worked out in my head as to how to manage the timing and spacing in age between Harper and our last and BONUS - I would be able to get rid of one whole stack of totes.  Of course, when and if the time comes (and let's face it, the time will come because I think we can all agree who will win this debate in the end) I am not sure I will be ready to part with the great stack of stuff that my kids once wore and loved.